Accord Odyssey Acura

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Japanese built and designed cars have flooded the North American market for over forty years now. Over time, many nameplates have come and gone, but Japanese cars continue to gain market share and acceptance with a growing number of motorists attracted to their high quality and durability. There are nine Japanese automobile manufacturing companies in existence. Can you name them? Let's take a look at the list:

Toyota - The second largest automaker in the world is Toyota, maker of the Camry, the Corolla, and a host of SUVs, trucks, passenger cars, and a van. Toyota's Lexus division produces luxury cars, while its Scion division manufactures youth oriented vehicles.

Honda - The Accord and the Civic are Honda's two most well known models, followed by the Odyssey minivan, the Ridgeline truck, the Element, and several other passenger vehicles. Acura is the name given to Honda's luxury car division.

Nissan - Drive a Datsun and then decide. Up until the early 1980s, Nissan's North American nameplate was Datsun, but was switched to Nissan to give it a more global name. The Sentra, Maxima, and Pathfinder are amongst the division's best selling vehicles. Infiniti is Nissan's luxury car division. Renault Motors of France owns a controlling interest in Nissan.

Mitsubishi - Originally imported exclusively by Chrysler, Mitsubishi began to sell cars under its own name in the 1980s. Top selling models include the Lancer, the Eclipse, and the Montero. DaimlerChrysler owns a chunk of the company.

Mazda - The Tribute, Miata, and the "6" are some of the most well known Mazda models. The Mazda 6's platform also powers several Ford Motor Company cars including the Mercury Milan. Ford owns an important stake in the company.

Subaru - Think all wheel drive and you may just think Subaru. The Forester, Outback, and Legacy are all top selling Subaru models. Fuji Heavy Industries [FHI] owns Subaru; General Motors has a 20 percent stake in FHI.

Suzuki - 20% owned by General Motors, Suzuki is as noted for producing cars as it is for manufacturing motorcycles. The Grand Vitara is one of its most noted models.

Isuzu - Did someone say General Motors? Again, GM owns a stake in Isuzu. At one time Isuzu imported cars to the US, but those days are over. Currently, Isuzu has a miniscule presence and the two vehicles they do sell - the Ascender SUV and I Series pick ups - are simply rebadged GMC vehicles.

Daihatsu - The Charade and Rocky were two models introduced by Daihatsu when the car company started selling vehicles in North America in 1988; four years later its North American operations were closed. In 1999, Toyota assumed controlling interest over the company.

So, there you have it: there are nine Japanese automakers, two of which are still independent. Much like the American market further consolidation is likely with nameplates disappearing entirely just like the Packard, Hudson, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, and a host of other North American nameplates have driven off into the history books.

Copyright 2005-2012 -- Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance automotive writer covering classic, current, and future models. He manages Mazda Verisa [http://www.mazdaverisa.com/], an enthusiast website for Verisa fans.

50 Years Later & Honda Ranks Up There

t was in 1959 when a little known Japanese manufacturer first began to sell small motorcycles (motorized bikes) in the US. That humble but auspicious beginning, which preceded the sale of its first cars here in 1970, began to turn the tide in the way that Americans viewed the auto industry. As time went by, Honda expanded and modified its vehicle offering and now provides a full fleet of passenger vehicles under both the Honda and Acura brands.

Thanks to a pair of debilitating gas crises in the US in the 1970s, Honda was able to ride the American driver's desire for economical and fuel efficient transportation by watching sales of its subcompact double and eventually quadruple within a few years time. In addition, the brand's flagship Accord soon became the defining mid-size car for America, battling the Toyota Camry for supremacy while Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge continued to stumble and lose favor with the American consumer.

The First Japanese Auto Plant In America

By 1982, Honda became the first Japanese automaker to open a plant in the US in Marysville, OH, just a few years after Volkswagen opened its Pennsylvania facility. While the VW facility is long gone, Marysville soldiers on and is now one of sixteen Honda owned plants in the US. Those plants build Honda and Acura automobiles as well as motorcycles, all terrain bikes, personal watercraft, lawnmowers and other power equipment. To date, Honda has built nearly $11 billion in manufacturing facilities and currently employs 35,000 workers.

Honda managed to grow despite usually trailing in two important categories – style and performance. American built cars have long been considered to be flashier and faster, but Honda quality and price usually trumped the best of what America built. That advantage Honda soon exploited as consumers tired of buying cars whose quality levels were average at best and whose performance in the area of pricing was considered to be inferior.

Design Improves While Quality Remains High

Today, not many analysts will give Honda credit for design, although the most recent editions of the Accord and Civic have added some pizazz to the brand. The Odyssey is one of the best built minivans in America, while Acura has the best resale value of any luxury car line. Clearly, there is a good reason why Honda is now one of the best selling manufacturers in America, a tribute to the automaker's relentless drive to innovate while maintaining industry leading quality.

What will the next fifty years hold for Honda in America? Likely, continued growth and improvement, perhaps becoming the first company to mass produce a hydrogen powered car. As far as that innovation goes, the FCX Clarity is its prototype hydrogen car one currently being tested in Japan and Southern California for eventual production.

About the Author

Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in North Carolina. Matt is a contributing writer for Andy's Auto Sport an aftermarket supplier of quality parts including Nissan 350z body kits and Mitsubishi Eclipse body kits.

Which Car would you Rather have out of these?

Please pick one car from each Category

SUV:
BMW X3
BMW X5
Cadillac Escalade
Nissan Murano
Lexus RX330
honda pilot
dodge durango
Lexus GX

Minivan:
Honda Odyssey
Toyota Sienna
Dodge Grand Caravan

Sedan:
Toyota Corolla
Honda Accord
Acura TL
Toyota Camry
Audi A8
Audi R8
Cadillac DTS
Cadillac CTS

Sports:
Ferrari
Lambhourghini
Bugatti
Porsche
Corvette
Lotus

SUV:
Cadillac Escalade

Minivan:
I would never dream of getting a mini van. I hate them.

Sedan:
Audi A8

Sports:
Lambhourghini, but I like all those cars too!

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Domestic Models Outperform Imports in Vehicle Appeal for the First Time in 13 Years
For the first time since 1997, domestic auto brands, collectively, have surpassed import brands as a whole in vehicle appeal, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study released today.

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